Strange and Sinister
by Divinely Ethereal
Summary: Three years have passed. Hwoarang is now older, stronger and wiser, his exploits made legend. But the summer of his fifteenth year brings with it a series of strange and sinister events.... sequel to Strong and Streetwise .
1. Chapter 1: New Life, Old Shadows

**Chapter I: New Life, Old Shadows**

_**A/N: I don't own Tekken.**_

_**Well I'm back with the much anticipated sequel to Strong and Streetwise**_

_**(at least, I like to think it was much anticipated), in which our beloved cocky**_

_**Hwoarang returns with a host of other old and new characters. Review when**_

_**you read plz, because I still can't read minds.**_

_Baek Do San Residence_

The sun had fully risen, its pearly white rays banishing the last of the lingering darkness, illuminating the spacious bedroom, and revealing the incriminating mess within.

Clothes were carelessly strewn all over the floor, as were empty soda cans, packets of crisps and sports magazines. The room was also a reflection of its current owner's obsessions. There were numerous posters on the walls: posters of rock bands like Nine Inch Nails, of rap artists like 50 cent and Eminem, of basketball players like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Posters showing various brands of sleek, powerful motorcycles, or attractive girls in bikinis. There was even a poster showing the Korean and American flags side by side.

The other contents of the room highlighted those obsessions, including a sophisticated stereo system, an electric guitar and a basketball. There was also a glass case displaying numerous award medals, trophies and certificates pertaining to Tae Kwan Do, a sport the room's occupant seemed very fond of, as the Tae Kwon Do training outfit lay neatly folded on a chair, white and pristine.

A sleepy silence hung in the room, to be punctuated by the light humming of the computer on the desk, and the regular deep breathing of the room's occupant, who lay face-down on his pillow, his right arm dangling limply over the side of the bed.

At this point, fifteen-year-old Rang Do San woke up with a start, groaning as he experienced a painful cramp in his arm. He slowly got to his feet, stretching and yawning like a huge cat, his hair a tousled mess.

A feeling of great restlessness swept through Hwoarang as he went through his three-year-old morning routine, which consisted of twenty pushups and a cold shower. He then donned a clean grey sleeveless shirt, black jeans and matching boots, and completed the outfit with a pair of goggles that he carefully slid up his head.

He then regarded himself in the mirror. A tall, well-built youth stared back at him, his compact frame indicating good health, his vigilant eyes blazing with a fiery intensity, his cool smile reflecting his self-confidence and determination. _Good_, he thought, pleased with what he saw._I look cool._

But Hwoarang certainly didn't feel cool or confident. Not after the ordeal he'd been through. It was of small comfort to him that he was now living with Baek, going to a good school, training in Tae Kwon Do, doing the things kids his age did, because in truth, he had spent every single day of the past three years looking over his shoulder in fear, wondering when _they _ would come to exact their revenge on him.

Hwoarang walked over to his desk, muttering made-up English lyrics to a rap song.

_"Been through the worst shit you can find_

_With Baek and the Streltsy on my mind"_

He stopped in front of his computer and checked his e-mail. There was a message from Baek, saying that he'd be back in the afternoon. Hwoarang groaned; Baek being back so early would put a stop to his afternoon plans.

He glanced at his desk, littered with newspaper and magazine articles about him, as well as interview requests and an assortment of fanmail. He chuckled; people still found his story sensational. He reread the letter at the top of the pile.

_" Dear (Hwoa)rang_

_My mother and I read your story when it first came out three years ago, and we really admired your courage. Not many kids could have taken on the might of organised crime the way you did. It was really incredible! Now, my mother is a researcher at the plant toxicology department of Wilcox University in Arizona, and she's been doing this research on the properties and composition of LDF, and how come it killed so many people in South East Asia and Russia. Her report's almost complete, but she'd like to get a first-hand description of the symptoms and effects of LDF, and since you're the only one who's taken it and survived, I thought maybe you can help her out, if it's not too much. I'd be really grateful if you'd consider it._

_Sincerely_

_Julia Chang"_

Hwoarang had received this letter almost two weeks ago, and he had still not replied. He never really replied to fanmail, but he had to admit that this letter was a welcome relief from the fawning he usually received, courtesy of a bunch of air-heads.

His cell began to vibrate. He flipped it open, read the message and smiled._ Hayner's here_, he thought.

XXXXXXX

Hwoarang sat on the garden wall, swinging his legs and watching as his tall, fair-haired friend scored a neat three-pointer from across the yard.

"Bet you can't do that again," he teased his friend with a smirk.

"You think?" Hayner Adams replied with an equally challenging grin. " I was the play maker of my team. Number one!"He retrieved the ball and steadied himself for another shot at the basket.

"Number one?! Guess your teammates had to be a bunch of cheerleaders, then."

"Kiss my ass, bro!" Hayner released the ball but didn't score this time; the ball merely rebounded from the basket and Hwoarang caught it as it came his way, smirking once more.

Hayner Adams was a sixteen-year-old American from Chicago. His father had got on the wrong side of the Mob, and now Hayner and his family were in Witness Protection for life. Hwoarang had met the older boy when he had moved to Korea from the States, and they had formed a fast friendship, knowing what they both did about life on the run.

"And about that shirt you got me last season," Hwoarang suddenly said. " You know I like the Lakers and all, but damn, yellow and purple! That's so fruity, man!"

Hayner snorted."Screw you, man, if you're gonna keep bringing that up! I almost got trampled by a bunch of crazed fans, trying to get this stupid shirt signed by KB24! You can at least thank me, you jackass!"

"Whatever," Hwoarang said, then twisted around to check out a group of teenage girls who were walking past, chatting animatedly."You know," he began again." Korean girls are getting kinda weird. They just go for the big, strong, silent types now. Some crazy fad, I guess."

"Are you trying to explain to me why you're still dateless?" Hayner asked with a smirk. " But I gotta say, American chicks are even more retarded. They drool all over Jesse McCartney and Zach Effron and the rest of those fruitcakes." He tossed the ball away and retrieved his guitar, which he'd placed nearby. "Can you get us a couple of beers?"

"You wish, man," Hwoarang replied dejectedly. " Remember what Baek did the last time I tried to sneak in a six-pack? And everybody knows us in town; they'd rat us out to him, damn 'em! But seriously, dude, how can you pull it off in the US, get into bars and clubs when you're underage?"

"Dude, that's what a fake ID's for!" Hayner said with a laugh. " You got a lot to learn! That old man's trying to keep you bottled up! And what happened when he took you down to San Francisco last month? You never said."

Hwoarang shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. "You had to remind me! That was the worst crap ever! I spent the whole week locked up in some seedy little place in Chi-Town, doing dishes for one of Master Baek's Bruce-Lee-wannabe friends. Oh, and I had to bunk with the guy's son; total fruit; wore pink shirts and training outfits! And check it: There was this other punk, with killer hair. And I really mean killer; you could get impaled on it when he head-butts you! And he drinks beer and sniffs gasoline 24/7, and keeps crappy pre-school drawings of bears and aliens in his room. After one night with him, I figured it'd be safer to room with the fruit."

Hayner let out a low whistle." I always knew Chi-Town in SF's a whack-shack, but, man, this is overkill! Sucks to be you..." And he began strumming his guitar." Hey, ever heard of John Denver?"

"Who?"

"Some country hic. Came up with this song; 'Country Roads' it's called."

"Yeah, I've heard it."

"Then check out the remix!" He began to play, singing along with great gusto.

_"Country Ho_

_Take me home_

_To your place_

_I got caaash_

_Country Ho_

_in West Virginia_

_Take me home_

_My Country Ho"_

Hwoarang began to chuckle." Okay, now I get why the chicks don't dig ya, Hayner. Your Karaoke spooks them!"

"Yeah, and your cheap red hair doesn't?"

"Better leave my hair out of this, 'cuz it sure as hell cooler than yours, Goldilocks!"

XXXXXXX

When Hayner left, Hwoarang again felt restless. He grabbed a fresh packet of chips and sat in front of the television, aimlessly turning the channels until a certain report on the Channel 1 News caught his attention. The anchorlady was saying:

_" The body of three-time wrestling champion Trent Thompson AKA the Annihilator, was discovered late last night in a hotel room just outside of Los Angeles, California . A negative blood test ruled out an overdose, and cause of death is yet to be determined, as there seems to be no evidence of foul play. It is worthy of note that this case correlates with five others this month, the victims all being renowned practissioners of well -known forms of self defence. Some of those victims have even been reported missing, and their whereabouts are unknown at present..."_

Hwoarang chocked and spat out his mouthful of chips. He couldn't believe his ears. This was too horribly familiar for him to let slide: Unexplained deaths, tests that revealed nothing... Could it be that the _Streltsy _ had resurfaced and were up to their old games again? So then why were they operating worldwide and targeting famous martial artists?!

Hwoarang's stomach turned all of a sudden, and he got up, dashed to the bathroom and reached the sink just in time. He retched violently, shudders running down his body. He then cleared the sink and looked at his reflection in the mirror. Pale, Sweaty, cold, clammy, facial muscles twitching. He squinted more closely. Was that a white hair corrupting the flaming red?

Hwoarang cursed profusely. He'd been having those brief spells of sickness on and off for three years now, ever since his fateful encounter with LDF, and nobody knew, not Baek or Lei, or Dr. Boskonovitch._ Heh, maybe I should write to this Julia Chang person, ask her Mum to check me up_, he thought._ Bah!_ He just needed some aspirin to dull the headache. He raided the medicine cabinet and downed as many as four aspirins, completely disregarding the concept of an overdose. He didn't care.

He left the bathroom, only to hear a distinct clattering coming from downstairs. He froze. Baek was not due in till later. Who could the intruder be? He listened hard, but whoever it was, they'd decided to proceed cautiously. He tiptoed back to his room, went to his bed and retrieved the switchblade he kept hidden beneath his pillow. Still feeling nauseated, he slowly traipsed down the stairs, the news report from earlier ringing in his ears. If it was indeed _them_, come to exact their revenge on him, they were in for a cruel reception. He would go down swinging...

_**A/N: Hope you like it so far! R&R plz! **_


	2. Chapter 2: Hwoarang's New Protegee

**Chapter II: Hwoarang's New Protegee**

_**A/N: I don't own Tekken. Plz R&R**_

Hwoarang reached the end of the stairs and cautiously peered into the hallway. All clear. Suddenly, he heard running footsteps and a voice yelled, "FREEZE!" Hwoarang leapt back in alarm, but his state of shock was short-lived. As far as he knew, there was only one man on this earth whose R's sounded more like L's, who could lend such a comical effect to the word 'freeze', and whose pleasant face he hadn't seen in a while. He quickly stowed the blade in his back pocket and began to chuckle.

"Lei, you ass, you damn near gave me a heart attack! Good to see you though!" he greeted in English.

Lei lowered his weapon, looking greatly relieved. "Where were you, kid? I've been ringing your doorbell for five minutes straight, and then I called your cell, and when you didn't pick up, I assumed the worst."

"Sorry about that. I kinda dozed off in front of the TV." He wasn't about to tell Lei that he had in fact been in the bathroom, experiencing a violent fit of sickness.

Lei seemed pacified. He grinned at Hwoarang." Hey, your English's still awesome, kid."

"Thanks." Hwoarang considered telling Lei that he couldn't really take that as a compliment, since Lei's English wasn't exactly top-notch, but decided against it; it was much too early to unleash his hidden barrage of sarcasm; he figured it would only send his cop friend running back to Hong Kong at top speed, and he didn't want that; he'd been seeing Lei on and off for three years now, mostly during the summers, and those times were always fun.

"Did you trash anything when you broke in?" he asked instead. " Sure sounded like you knocked over that coat hanger by the door."

Lei's grin widened. " Oh, that wasn't me, kid."

"Eh?"

Lei looked over his shoulder as he replied," Rang, I'd like you to meet someone."

A young girl stepped into view from where she'd been lurking in the hall. She was small, several heads shorter than Hwoarang, and could not have been more than ten; yet she was more solidly built than other girls her age, with hard little apples already protruding from her chest. Hwoarang would have liked her brown almond-shaped eyes, her high cheekbones, cherry lips and rosy cheeks, but those features seemed offset by others. Her dark brown hair was too short for his liking, and her choice of clothes was rather tomboyish: a slightly baggy white shirt, black shorts, sneakers, a white and blue tennis hairband and matching wristbands. Even then she would have been an enchanting child, but for the wild, defiant look in her eyes and the fact that she seemed to be scowling.

_Oh, man, this kid's gonna be a shitload of trouble_, he decided. It was clear to him that she was the beat-up-boys type of girl and he vaguely wondered whether this phase would persist once she reached adolescence.

To Lei, he said," That's the klutz who knocked over Baek's coat hanger? Who is she, Lei?"

"That's Asuka Kazama, from Osaka, Japan."

"Ass-ka 'Klutzy' Kazama." Hwoarang snickered slightly and held out his hand.

The girl didn't take it but her scowl deepened. She stepped up to him, seized his goggles, stretched them as far as they would go, then sharply snapped them back to his head, simultaneously giving him a hard kick in the shins.

"Owww, what the hell?!" Hwoarang yelped in pain.

The girl looked at him, her eyes hard and vengeful. "It's rude to stare at people like they have three heads!" Her English was halting, satisfactory at best(by now Hwoarang was convinced he was the only foreigner who could speak the language smoothly), and her voice was loud, not high-pitched, but imperious and commanding in tone. She was a child who was used to getting her own way. " And I'm not a klutz!" she added. "Am I, Lei-san?"she looked back at Lei.

"Nope," the cop replied nonchalantly, not quite meeting Hwoarang's eyes.

"Traitor," Hwoarang muttered, gingerly massaging his leg. He straightened up, facing Lei." What'd you bring this kid here for anyway? Don't think for a nano-second that I'd wanna babysit her. Between her and the _Streltsy_, I'd pick the _Streltsy_ anytime.."

"Yeah, well," Lei began, then glanced at Asuka. She had stuck out her tongue at Hwoarang and turned away, seeming to lose interest in him. Both he and Hwoarang watched as she wandered into the kitchen.

"Let's hope she doesn't break anything," Hwoarang said as he led Lei into Baek's study, shutting the door behind them. "So," he began, plopping into a couch." How's it been for you? Any luck getting back on the ATF?"

"Not the slightest," Lei replied, seeming not bothered.

"So what are you doing down here, and who's your new kid sidekick, really?"

"Well, I've been working around here, so I thought I'd pop in to say hello, and yeah, Asuka's pretty much my work at the moment."

Hwoarang whistled." Damn, you must have really pissed off Lana to have her demote you to babysitter. I'd have thought a high-profile guy like you'd be out there, trying to figure out why all those martial artists are just getting popped."

"Oh, that. I _am _trying to figure it out. Oh, yeah, I've been meaning to ask, how'd you do in school this year?"

Hwoarang shook his head." I flunked Bio 'most spectacularly'. The course was so freaking boring, I swear they never mentioned the word 'sex' even once in the text! All we did was plant anatomy, plant transport systems, and I dunno what other plant-related shit! i'd have dropped out of the course ages ago, but Baek kept telling me that I'd been committed. He's coming later today,by the way."

Lei suddenly smiled." Oh, he's not going anywhere in a hurry. There's been serious delays in all flights in and out of the US and parts of Asia."

"Really? He didn't mention that."

"Guess he just wanted to scare you into freezing your afternoon plans, then. But haven't you been watching the news lately? You might be getting sunny skies over here, but other parts of the world are getting pretty freaky weather for July. They even have mist covering regions of Japan. Can you believe that? I saw it when I picked up Asuka from Osaka."

Hwoarang wasn't that interested in the weather." Which brings us back to the brat. So quit stalling, and get talking, Lei."

Lei sighed. "Well, this is gonna be kinda hard to hear, kid, but Asuka Kazama isn't your average ten-year-old girl."

"No, she's more like your average-ten-year-old-girl-with-a-hundred-issues."

Lei ignored that. "Ever heard of ESP?"

"What?"

"Extra Sensory Perception. You know, paranormal abilities."

"You mean as in seeing the future, talking to the dead and other sixth sense crap?" Hwoarang asked with a raised eyebrow.

Lei winced. "Only, less extreme than that."

"You're telling me you think that kid's got it in her?" Hwoarang scoffed.

"She'd deny it; poor kid doesn't want to be treated like a circus freak, but I know she does have it. I've spoken to people in Osaka, from her school, mainly, who all have the same thing to say: Weird things always happen when Asuka's around .Her father's even confirmed that at age five, she could already bend a steel spoon with the power of her mind, and that now, she's gained the ability to project her and other people's thoughts on photographic film. Her father wouldn't have told me though; her relatives are so protective of her, but then he was getting pretty desperate." And here, Lei leaned forwards and whispered conspiratoriously." You see, kid, Asuka was very nearly kidnapped, three days ago."

By now, Hwoarang was listening intently. He suddenly folded his arms. " All right, let's just say the psychic story checks out. Is that why they're trying to kidnap her? And who's 'they' anyway?"

Lei sighed again." That's the question, isn't it? I have a hunch, but I can't say for sure. Also, the poor kid isn't a very credible witness. All I know is what her father told me. I was asked to protect her, as well as figure out who those perps were.Mr Kazama trusts me to do it; he's heard how I've protected you three years ago. Now, like I've said, I've got a good hunch, but I need to do some investigations and I can't have Asuka tagging along behind me. So can you please look out for her while I'm gone?"

Hwoarang threw up his arms. "I knew this whole thing's gonna come down to this! There goes the rest of my summer!"

Lei chuckled." Just a couple of days."

Hwoarang stopped grumbling. " Lei, do you think the _Streltsy_'s behind this?"

Lei considered." The honest answer would be no, Rang, but that's no excuse to let our guard down. We're dealing with a new enemy now."

XXXXXXX

Lei left soon after that, and Hwoarang went into the kitchen in search of his new charge. What he saw made him stop in his tracks.

"The hell are you doing?" he yelled.

Asuka looked up from the kitchen table. She was halfway through his newly-bought ice-cream container, her white shirt already sporting several chocolate stains. Hwoarang marched up to her and yanked the spoon and the container out of her grasp, shouting," Oh, man, not that! Do you know how freaking expensive this Baskin Robins stuff is? Do you know how hard it is to get through the summer without it? Huh!"

Asuka instantly got to her feet, knocking over her stool. Hwoarang took a deep, steadying breath, then resumed his scolding. " Weren't you talking about manners and rudeness a while ago? Now don't you think it's really rude of you to come in here and start eating my stuff without my permission?!"

" And don't you think it's really rude of _you_ not to offer any sort of refreshment to your guests in the first place?!" she shot back, equally angry.

"Not when my 'guests' are party-crashers like you!"

"What, are you saying you don't want me here?!" There was a certain tone of astonishment in her voice that marred the arrogance. It sort of echoed the reaction of a toddler who'd discovered that he was, for the first time ever, being denied a special treat.

"Took you long enough to figure it out. Now let's be clear: Till Lei comes to pick you, stay away from my stuff, from my room, and sure as hell stay away from me. How does that sound?" He looked at her. Her eyes were narrowed, her cheeks flushed, her bottom lip quivering. Then it happened.

All the cups, plates and glasses that had been set out to dry shattered, popped off with the suddenness of firecrackers. Hwoarang yelped and jumped away to avoid the flying shards of glass and china, while Asuka remained rooted to the spot, watching the scene with a peculiar sense of detatchment, her eyes unfocussed, until a stray shard of glass grazed her cheek, bringing her back to Earth. For a moment, she just surveyed the wreckage around her. Then-

"Look what you made me do!" she wailed, and just didn't stop until Hwoarang had crawled out from beneath the table, reassured her that she had in fact done him a favour by destroying the plates and cups, because he did not like Baek's taste in china anyway, and promised her five extra pounds of Baskin Robins' ice-cream as a reward.

A few minutes later, Asuka seemed to forget the whole incident as, giddy with excitement, she watched Hwoarang hook up his PlayStation 2 in the living room. She then challenged him to a race in _Need For Speed: Underground 2_, to which he replied in a shaky voice," Okay... but no powers!"

This was looking to be a long summer...

XXXXXXX

_**A/N: Oh, yeah, Happy Valentine's, people!**_


	3. Chapter 3:The First Strike

**Chapter III: The First Strike**

_**A/N: Sorry for the delay. I had finals, and even though this fic's already been finished on paper, I never had the time to type up the chapters and store them. Plus, my laptop was taken from me, so I'll have to use my dad's until further notice-and be very discreet about it, too(glances furtively around). And of course, I don't own Tekken.**_

_Afternoon, two days later_

Hwoarang was in Baek's study, placing a call. Asuka's imperious voice drifted over to him through the open window overlooking the yard, where his friend Hayner Adams was attempting to teach her the basics of basketball. Judging by her snappy retorts, the lesson was not going all that well.

_If she ain't the very definition of the word 'klutz', then I don't know what is, _Hwoarang thought, his ear pressed to the phone._ Come on Lei, pick up, pick up..._Whatever Lei was doing, he should have been back by now. For the tenth time running, Hwoarang got his voicemail, left an angry message, and hung up, swearing. He checked the phone book and dialled Interpol HQ Seoul's number, but the lady who answered was blunt and unco-operative. He then decided to call Baek. The call went through.

" Hello?" he began tentatively. He heard something in response, but it was largely muffled by a steady whir of static. For some reason, the phone lines were acting up; it just wasn't the day for long-distance calls to the US. He eventually gave up, replacing the phone with a slam, muttering, " What a piece of crap!"

"Hey."

He looked up. Hayner had just entered the room, looking furtively over his shoulder.

"I just got away from her. Look, I dunno what's cooking up between you and her and the Interpol guy, but I need to know if you're still on for tomorrow night."

Hwoarang groaned. How had it slipped his mind? A friend of Hayner's father, a wealthy Korean-American businessman called William Dae-Kim, was hosting a party at his summer residence in Seoul. Baek, and by association Hwoarang, had received invitations a week ago. But Baek was still away on business, and Hwoarang relished the opportunity to run loose, for once. Hayner had told him that there would be plenty of foreigners in attendance, mostly Americans, but he'd also said that the party was a ' formal thing' and the females 'sophisticated.'

" Yeah, I'm still game," Hwoarang said," but there better be no dress-code, 'cuz I sure as hell ain't gonna be going in a tux!"

"Well, not exactly a dress-code, but if you don't want them to give you the 'look', then you gotta wear some sort of jacket... Your pants shouldn't be hanging low, and you'd best leave out the goggles."

"Damn, what is this, an old ladies' tea party?!"

Hayner laughed. " What are we gonna do about the kid? Do you think we should just sneak out and leave her here?"

"Where are you planning to go?" The boys looked around, and there was Asuka, standing at the doorway, wearing her trademark scowl.

"Nowhere," they replied simultaneously. Miraculously, she did not pursue the subject, but continued in a different tone," Hey, I just noticed that black motorbike in the shed. Could you-"

"No!" Hwoarang instantly flared. " I might have gotten that thing for a hundred bucks at a garage sale, but it's still a Ural motorbike. No joyrides for you. Period."

He was very adamant about that bike. It did not begin to match up to Baek's but it was a start. Unfortunately, Baek would have strongly disapproved, so he'd had to stash it in the tool shed.

"C'mmon, don't be a spoilsport!" Asuka whined.

"Go on, Rang," Hayner chimed in." Just a five minute spin round the block." He leaned forward and whispered to him." Seriously, bro, anymore whining and my eardrums'll pop."

"Fine, but you take her," Hwoarang finally huffed. " And if I see so much as a dust particle on my bike, then I'm kicking your ass back to the US. And you'd have to pay me a hundred bucks, plus interest, so we'll be calling it an even two grand!"

Hayner grinned."Fair enough."

XXXXXXX

Hwoarang was in the garage inspecting his bike for damage when he saw Lei walking up the front path leading to the house._Finally!_ He waited until Lei had paused in front of the door, then walked up to him. " Hey, Lei."

Lei made no indication that he'd heard. He seemed lost in thought.

"Um, Earth to Lei, do you read me?"

Lei's head snapped back." Oh, hello, sorry about that." He did not smile.

"Well, what's the dope on the Brat Case?"

"Nothing much..." He did not meet Hwoarang's searching gaze.

"C'mmon Lei, own up! You can't lie to a compulsive liar and not get busted." He did not consider himself a 'compulsive liar', but Baek certainly did.

"I've got nothing, kid, not on this one, but what I know for a fact is that another martial artist went MIA last night, a lot closer to home this time. A Tae Kwan Do champion, an acquaintance of Baek's. I'm not looking forward to telling him." He sighed, rubbing his temples. He looked pale and drawn." I'll just hit the shower and grab a mug of coffee, then I'll be off again. Can't afford downtime." He made to enter the house.

"Whoa, whoa," Hwoarang began, planting himself in Lei's way. " How long are you gonna be gone?I can't babysit much longer; I got a party to hit tomorrow night!"

"Well, Rang, the only party you're gonna be hitting anytime soon is a pajama party in this house, I can promise you that. Now if you'll excuse me,I really don't have time."

Hwoarang did not budge. Lei getting blunt and impatient meant that something was waaay off." You know, I think someone should go check on Baek, 'cuz you sure as hell seem to be channelling his spirit, or something."

Lei's face split into a grin for the first time. " Thanks for pointing that out. For a second there, I thought I was about to lose my soul." Hwoarang grinned back. " Yeah, you're absolutely right," Lei continued in a much warmer tone." I did say you'd have to watch her for only two days. It's not fair for you, no..." he paused, looking thoughtful." Hey, tell you what. Maybe we can work something out. That party you were talking about,Baek's a no-show, right? So then, you can take Asuka instead and I'll talk to Lana, get her to send a couple of guys to stake out the place while you're there, for Asuka's security."

"Cool, but you're still hiding stuff from me," Hwoarang said knowingly.

XXXXXXX

_Baek Do San Residence ,next evening, 8:00 pm_

"We're gonna be late," Hwoarang said irritably. He was all set for the evening, having dispensed with his goggles and treated his hair to some gel to make it less unruly. Hayner looked equally unhappy, in a dress shirt, jacket and slacks that had initially elicited a gale of laughter from his Korean friend. They were waiting for Hayner's sister Helen to finish up with Asuka, whom Hwoarang had refused to take along until she'd swapped her tomboyish outfit for something more appropriate. When the two girls finally came down, both boys gasped.

Asuka not only resembled a girl now; she was practically a princess. Her periwinkle blue dress shimmered(Helen had sprinkled silver glitter all over it), she wore silver slippers, and had a blue hairband studded with false diamonds in her hair.

"Damn, talk about before and after pictures," Hwoarang muttered.

Hayner was less discreet. " What did you do to her, sis?!" he cried. " She looks like an Asian version of Cinderella!"

Asuka clenched her fists. By the time she had finished retaliating, Hayner was forced to wear his Ray Bans, in order to conceal his newly acquired black-eye.

XXXXXXX

_William Dae-Kim Mansion, 8:30 p.m._

Hwoarang had never seen such luxury. He took one look at the reception hall, with its huge crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, its marble floor, fine silk drapings and lavish furnishings inlaid with gold, and considered making a hasty exit. It was all so unfamiliar: The sweet scent of canna lilies and roses, the band on the raised platform, playing their slow, soothing, melancholic music, the guests, in their designer dresses and suits, milling about, the gold fountain that sprayed bystanders with champagne instead of water, and the immaculately dressed waiters serving refreshments and waiting on the guests as if they were acting their parts in a well-rehearsed movie. Hwoarang suddenly felt giddy, even as Hayner handed him a glass of champagne to try. Beside them, Asuka's eyes were as wide as saucers, and Hwoarang knew she was wishing for eight other pairs of eyes.

Hayner suddenly nudged him. "Look!" A girl was coming their way, seeming to glide, her long mane of platonic blonde hair flying behind her. She was wearing a curiously-cut, white satin dress and a string of pearls around her neck.

" ' Ello," she said, coming to a stop in front of Hwoarang, directing her words to him, completely ignoring Hayner and Asuka. " You must be zat 'Orang boy, ze famous one."

"And what was your first clue?" Her accent irritated him. She was most probably French.

She seemed to discern his disparaging tone. " Za awful red 'air, of course," she said dispassionately.

"Yeah, well at least I'm not the one wearing a pillowcase for a dress."

Hayner snickered beside him. The girl gave him a withering look. "And you are?"

"Oh, just a shadow in the background called Hayner. Don't mind me."

"Pleasure," she said drily." I'm Emily Roquefort." She seemed to be expecting the name to have a huge impact on the boys. She was gravely mistaken.

Hwoarang feigned disbelief." I'm sorry, are you telling us you're Paris Hilton's half-sister?"

"More like her illegitimate daughter," Hayner quipped. Both boys burst into laughter, and even Asuka had to join in at the sight of the blonde's mortified expression.

Emily Roquefort finally seemed to notice the younger girl. " And you must be 'is little sister," she said , nodding at Hwoarang.

"Eeeeewww!" Asuka wailed.

Hwoarang winced." Geez, if you think all Asians look the same, then you sure as hell need to get your head examined."

"Won't do her any good," Hayner said." She's a hopeless case of 'dumb blonde'" The boys laughed some more and exchanged high-fives. When they had turned back to look, Emily Roquefort had already glided off, arm-in-arm with a tall, dark-haired boy.

Hwoarang glanced at Asuka. She was still glaring after Emily, insulted at being ignored and mistaken for his younger sister.

"Drop it, okay?" he told her," but seriously, I wonder what a girl like her's doing at a party for Americans and Koreans. Got lost on her way to see the MonaLisa?"

"Her father owns half the oil-fields in the world, if you must know," a female voice said from behind. " Big fish for an American businessman like Mr William Dae-Kim."

They whirled around. A teenage girl was sitting at a small table two feet away, tan and curvy, clad in a simple black dress, her brown hair tumbling past her shoulders.

"Did you think we were related too?" Asuka asked her, desperately needing a second opinion.

"Of course not, honey. You two have very dissimilar features. Would it be too much to ask the three of you to keep me company? It's getting a tad too dull here."

"Sure!" Asuka said, grinning, taking an instant liking to the girl and dropping into the seat beside her. Hwoarang and Hayner followed suit.

"Finally, someone who doesn't have sh-, dung, for brains, haven't met anyone like that in,like, forever," Hwoarang began. He had been about to say 'shit', but caught himself just in time. He had a feeling it wouldn't register well with the girl.

The girl smiled." Well maybe you've been looking in all the wrong places, Rang. I'm Julia Chang by the way."

Hwoarang opened his mouth to reply, then abruptly closed it as the name hit home. He stared at her.

She smiled at his discomfort. " That's right, Rang, and there's no need to apologise or anything, I'm sure you didn't have time to consider my letter. Answering fanmail can be such a stressful career..."

Hwoarang smirked, finding his voice." You stalker! You came all the way here to interview me about the effects of LDF? I don't think so!"

She smiled yet again-a natural response, not a mechanical one." Trust me, Rang. My interest in you is purely professional. I've dated my fair share of bad boys, and never one who was two years younger than me, like you are. I'm here with my mother and some others. Mother's an executive at EcoField, the company that does the reforestation projects and researches alternate energy resources back in the States. She's hoping to bring Mr Dae-Kim on board one of her projects, to finance it, but fat chance, with oil tycoons around." She frowned in Emily's general direction.

"Hang on," Hwoarang said." You said in your letter that your mom was a university researcher. She's a company executive in her spare-time?"

Julia chuckled." Actually it's the other way around." She then proceeded to ask Hayner and Asuka about themselves. Hwoarang watched her, noticing her tanned complexion. " Are you Latino?" he finally asked.

She dissolved into fits of laughter." Oookay," she began when she'd sobered up. " Geography's definitely not your top subject."

"I never said it was. But it's Biology that's totally lost on me."

"Well, that's unfortunate. Biology happens to be my best subject. But that doesn't mean we won't be getting along."

"Your best subject? Wow, I mean sure, you're not wearing fur coats like those chicks over there, but I didn't figure you were the bookwormy, nature-girl type. Just your mom. Something's missing..."

"Maybe because I've ditched my glasses for now. I'm wearing my contacts."

"Oh..." As the conversation unfolded, Hwoarang realised how different this girl was.Flexible, resilient, all sarcasm rolling right off her back._ Maybe 'cuz she's older_,he thought.

"Whom do you think Mr Dae-Kim would prefer to do business with?" Julia asked. "Will greed make him pick Roquefort, or will his conscience lead him to Mother?"

"Er, I think a little something called 'sanity' would force him to choose door number three..."

Julia smiled." You're clever, in a really funny way. Some people might take it the wrong way though."

"Well I guess it's just their luck. The question is: are you one of those people?"

She laughed. " I should hope not! We all know that a girl should be thick-skinned when it comes down to that kind of thing, otherwise, she's gonna end up going gray way before her time."

He smirked. " Well I sure hope you don't go down that road."

"Me too.."

They suddenly heard a high pitched cry. Looking around, they saw Emily Roquefort sitting at a nearby table, drenched in champagne, the waiter responsible for the spill apologising profusely.

Hwoarang instinctively looked at Asuka. Her face was just as blank as it had been that other one time. He seized her shoulders and pulled her up." 'Scuse us, guys. We gotta sort something out." Asuka snapped back to reality as he steered her away.

"What happened?"

"Don't you play dumb with me!" Hwoarang hissed. " I know what you did to the French girl!"

"I didn't do anything!"

"Sure you didn't," he huffed." Now look here, you need to start getting a grip on yourself. You don't punish people with your powers for every tiny thing they do to you, 'cuz if you do, then somewhere down the line someone's gonna start asking a lot of questions, and then what?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" she cried. She looked quite frightening as she glared at him. He was unaffected.

"Go ahead, then, strike me down with lightning or whatever! Won't change the fact that you're a freak of nature... And maybe Lei should have stashed you in an asylum, in a strait jacket!"

The last vestiges of strength and defiance faded from her eyes. She took off, wailing, and disappeared amidst the crowd of revellers.

XXXXXXX

Hwoarang was in too foul a mood to make it back to the table. He wandered aimlessly about, until the sight of the least expected person in the world stopped him dead in his tracks. Lana Lang, Lei Wulong's longtime superior, was sitting in a dark corner, dressed in a black chiffon dress, one long,shapely leg crossed over the other.

"Hello, Hwoarang," she greeted." Long time no see..."

"What the- what are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be sending in two guys for surveillance!"

"There's been a change in plan," she replied, toying with her drink." We've stationed a whole squadron of Tekken Force soldiers around the perimeter."

"Tekken Force?"

"The Mishima Zaibatsu's peace corps."

The name stirred a distant memory in his mind._The Mishima Zaibatsu were intending to use LDF in their chemical warfare..._

"How could you be working with them? They're bad guys!" he was outraged.

She looked at him coldly." Hardly. You've been listening to Lei's conspiracy theories. The Zaibatsu has been leasing the Tekken Force to our Anti Terrorist Force ever since-"

"-you kicked Lei off it."

" -ever since the Tekken Force was established-sixteen years ago"

"And why would you need the ATF to surround this place?"

"Because... this case has become our top priority."

" Hey, Rang!" It was Hayner, looking concerned. " What kept you? And where's Asuka? I saw her run off-"

"What's this?" Lana said sharply. " You don't have the Kazama girl?!" she demanded of Hayner. Then she looked at Hwoarang and the expression on her face was murderous.

"Well..." Hwoarang began, taking a step back, alarmed. " She's off sulking somewhere..."

"You let her out of your sight?! You fool!" there was an edge of controlled hysteria in Lana's voice as she abruptly stood up, upsetting her glass. " You damn fool!"

As if on cue, a sudden violent explosion rocked the mansion. All hell broke loose...

XXXXXXX

_**A/N: Sorry for the extremely lengthy update. I've taken some artistic liberties: Lily is Hwo's age and Julia is 2 years older. Also, I'm not too sure I got Julia right.But that doesn't matter because I actually want her to be interesting for a change. Anyway, like I've said, I've finished writing this fic ; yes Julia has a big part to play, that's why I made her slightly older, and no, Lily is not a major character, I just used her as a comic relief, in fact, this whole chapter was basically comic relief; nothing serious happened until the end, which was of course... a cliffhanger. Oh, and I'm sorry about the lack of Baek for now, but don't worry, he'll get his part... **_


	4. Chapter 4: Hwoarang To The Rescue

**Chapter IV: Hwoarang To The Rescue**

_**A/N: The ownership of Tekken is exclusive to Namco. **_

Pandemonium reigned. People screamed and began surging towards the nearest exit; the doors that opened onto the reception hall. Hwoarang was swept up in a tide of humanity; he caught a flash of gold to his left, and saw Emily Roquefort come down hard, having tripped over herself in her haste to flee. He elbowed his way over to her and pulled her out of harm's way, just as another ominous tremor sounded, and the huge crystal chandlier came crashing down, to land where Lily's form had been mere seconds ago.

" WHERE'S THE KID?" He found himself screaming at her, shaking her like a ragdoll.

But his heroic act paid off. " I saw ' er run to ze ladies'..." Lily's voice cracked and she succumbed to terrified sobs. He let go of her as he felt a hand on his shoulder, and Hayner's frightened face was inches from his own.

" We have to get out now!" his friend yelled.

" Take her!" Hwoarang bellowed back, thrusting Lily towards Hayner. " I gotta find that brat!"

He rushed off, and a second later, men in green tactical gear stormed the place, only to be countered almost instantly by what Hwoarang assumed to be the Anti Terrorist Force affiliates- the red-clad Tekken Force. Fire was opened by both sides.

Hwoarang ducked and weaved, avoiding the hail of flying bullets. He heard the shattered glass, and just above that, Lana's fervent instructions as she joined the firefight. " Hold them off! Do not let them get the Kazama girl!"

And through the turmoil and chaos, Hwoarang found himself wondering just who in their right minds would go to such desperate measures to get Asuka Kazama.

XXXXXXX

Asuka hiccoughed and wiped her eyes. She regarded her tear-stained face in the mirror, then stuck her tongue out at her own reflection. She hated herself for giving in to tears, she hated Hwoarang for his meanness and his endless criticism and chastisement, but most of all, she hated the fact that he was right; she really needed to keep her powers in check. And the sad part was, she had been trained to do just that, had been able to do it, up until a few weeks ago, when everything just fell apart. Whatever was happening to her?

And then the explosion sounded. Asuka yelped and grabbed the sink for support, as the whole room shook and bits of masonry from the ceiling came tumbling all around her. She took refuge beneath the sink, curling herself in the fetal position, watching, listening, waiting, eyes wide with fear...

Then she heard running footsteps and distant bangs, before it struck her that she was the intended target, that the people looking for her intended to turn this place upside down until she was found. She closed her eyes, tuning her mind to her surroundings. She could practically sense the malice and ill-will that radiated from the men sent to capture her, to hit her mind in vibes. Only when she felt those pulses grow weaker did she begin to crawl carefully through the debris. She got to her feet, kicked off her slippers and pushed open the door, to reveal the semingly deserted hallway.

She'd barely taken five steps, when a hand materialized out of nowhere, pinning her mouth and non-too-gently pulling her into a shadowy corner. She went limp with fear, but she needn't have.

It was just Hwoarang.

He put a finger to his lips, and quietly indicated the direction Asuka had been about to take: two men were marching their way. Greens. Not among the good guys. He then tugged her arm, and they slipped quietly in the opposite direction, the shadows and the adrenalin their strongest allies.

Hwoarang knew that before long, the place would be swarming with enemies. Downstairs, the battle still raged, and down the end of the hall, he could hear a great clamour of approaching voices and footsteps. He needed to act fast.

Hwoarang pushed open the first door to his left and shoved Asuka inside the room, which he realised was a cleaning supplies storage room, of all places. He nevertheless indicated the large cupboard in the far corner, and they ran to it, wedging themselves in the narrow space between cupboard and wall.

And then Asuka noticed. _The door!_ she mouthed silently at him.

He had left it ajar.

The footsteps paused just outside the room and voices floated over to the hiding pair.

" Hey, did we check in here?" A voice spoke sharply, in English.

Hwoarang felt Asuka stiffen beside him; this very slight movement on her part knocked down the mop that was propped against the wall beside her. Hwoarang watched its descent, realising that upon contact with the floor, it would make an unforgivable amount of noise, enough to give their game away...

With reflexes born of three years worth of Tae Kwan Do, Hwoarang thrust his leg forwards, catching the mop in mid-fall, steadying it, and pulling it back into an upright position. He glared at Asuka, but his expression softened when he noticed her trembling.

And automatically, without so much as consulting his brain, his arms went around her.

_Get a grip, kid! You'll be fine, just trust me, okay? _ And somehow, as though she'd heard his unspoken words, Asuka relaxed.

And now it was time for Hwoarang to see if those green goons outside would swallow the bait...

" What do you think?" An irritable voice answered the first. " The door's wide open, so yeah, we _did_ check this room. I honestly don't think that even a scared little girl would forget to lock herself in." They heard the man kick something metallic on the floor. " Now come on, we'd better find that kid or the Controller'll have our asses..." And the men swept past without a backward glance.

Hwoarang felt a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. He had outwitted those goons! He was so intoxicated by his success that he'd forgotten all about Asuka, who was still pressed uncomfortably against him. His grip slackened, and she wriggled out. An awkward moment of silence hung between them. He turned away.

" Lemme go see if the coast is clear yet," he whispered.

He walked over to the door, peered out and promptly withdrew his head. Stationed at the end of the corridor, sealing off their only exit, were no less than five heavily armed greens.

_Damn..._

Hwoarang's mind raced, seeking a solution out of this latest predicament. " Right," he finally whispered, a hint of urgency in his voice. " Whatever the hell's going on downstairs, it doesn't seem like our side's winning, and those goons out there don't seem like they're gonna budge anytime soon, so... we gotta rush them."

" No way!" Asuka's voice was a frightened squeak. " That's crazy..."

" Actually, it's the sanest thing after the invention of hair dye, 'cuz those guys sure as hell ain't much brighter than King Kong, and in case you didn't notice, they want you alive, or they would have nuked this place outta the map, 'stead of causing a diversion and sending in thugs. They won't shoot at us. Now come on!" he said all this very fast, and extended his hand.

She did not budge.

He sighed, ran his hands through his hair. " Tell me one thing, kid," he hissed. " Do you wanna see your dad again, or not?"

That was enough to set her eyes ablaze with a new-found determination. This time she accepted his proferred hand. He grinned.

"Right-o. Whatever you do, don't let go. And... just trust me, okay?" he winked." Ready... _Go!_"

They charged out of the storage room, their bodies pressed close together, daring the confused gunmen to shoot at one of them and risk hitting the other. Hwoarang's prediction proved accurate- the men hesitated, but instead, formed a tighter formation, intent on intercepting them. But Hwoarang's sharp eyes quickly detected the weakest link in the chain, and he and Asuka made for it. He elbowed faces, she kicked shins and bit outstretched hands. Somehow, they broke through, pelting into a spacious study.

And Hwoarang saw their escape: The large, glass windows with their cream curtains pulled back, to reveal the best scene he could have hoped for: a star-studded sky beckoning them to freedom.

" Quick!" With seconds to spare before their pursuers caught up with them, the two leapt onto the mahogany desk, as one, and then Hwoarang, conscious of the damaging task ahead of him, once again had Asuka ensconced in his protective embrace, before taking an even longer leap. Their momentum was as great as he'd hoped, and Hwoarang found himself smashing a way through the glass, feeling it splinter all around him, experiencing searing pains through his body, hearing Asuka's muffled scream, as they plummeted downwards, landing in an Olympic-sized swimming pool two storeys below.

XXXXXXX

They broke the surface, coughing and spluttering. Hwoarang felt the pain, great stabs of it, and the warm stickiness on his face, that of blood. He heard great yelling and shouting, and blinked his eyes against the floodlights that came on. One arm still held Asuka, the other was out of commission.

" You okay? Hurt anything?" he choked out the words.

" No, I don't think-" she gasped.

" Listen, we're gonna have to swim to the edge-"

" But I don't swim so good!" This panicked admission gave his hazy, pain-filled mind a strong jerk towards lucidity. _Great, just great..._ But he needed to keep Asuka afloat; her life, for some mysterious reason, was worth much more than his own.

" S'okay; just splash around with your arms." And with a supreme effort, he forced his Tae-Kwan-Do trained legs to kick back.

Their progress seemed agonizingly slow, but it was not long before paramedics were wading out to meet them. With a final burst of strength, Hwoarang thrust Asuka towards them and surrendered himself to his sheer exhaustion, slipping back into the watery depths. As he went down, his one good arm flailing upwards in protest, he thought of how eerie the red and blue lights of the ambulances and police cars seemed from down there, thought of the rushing sensation that would accompany death by drowning, and this brought a reluctant grin to his face, so that water gushed into his mouth and lungs, and he sank deeper, his arm going almost limp, until it was seized by another.

XXXXXXX

Asuka sat there, wrapped in a towel, with the paramedics hovering around her. She was very much aware that, through Hwoarang's sacrifice, she was probably the only person to have come out of this ordeal unscathed, ironically, since she was the target. She watched through bleary eyes the trickle of people going in and out of the damaged mansion; the remnants of the Interpol-affiliated Tekken squadron rescuing survivors. She saw the ambulances, police cars and news vans, heard Lily's hysterical sobs as she reunited with her equally shaken father, heard Julia Chang's shouts for help, as the American girl pulled the ominously still form of Hwoarang out of the pool, to begin administering CPR. And through her surreal surroundings, she made out the once-familiar features of Lei Wulong, now distorted by anger and fear.

XXXXXXX

_Seoul General Hospital, two days later_

Asuka knew that the neatly dressed man pacing restlessly about the waiting room was Hwoarang's surrogate father, Baek Do San, that, stricken with the news of what had happened, he'd hurried over to Seoul on the first flight back. She dreaded the prospect of telling him that she was responsible for Hwoarang's injuries, that it was all her fault, but she needed to, because this man was very furious, and his fury was directed solely at his son, for some reason.

" Mister," she piped up when Baek Do San had drawn level with her in his pacing. He stopped to look questioningly down at her.

" Rang saved me and-" a thought suddenly fluttered into her mind. What if Baek's anger was derived from the belief that Hwoarang had broken his china, and not her? She swallowed. That was a misconception she had to clear. " I broke all that stuff, sir, not Rang. I broke all the dishes and bowls and glasses and..."

He held up a hand and spoke. " There are many important issues to deal with right now. And this... is just not one of them." He gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder, and went in to see Hwoarang.

XXXXXXX

_An hour later_

Hwoarang had feigned sleep all through Baek's visit; he had a feeling it wouldn't have ended well for him. But when Lei came in through the door, looking so grim and morose, that he might have been carrying the Earth's burdens on his shoulders, Hwoarang pounced.

" All right, you no good Jackie-Chan-Wannabe! Sit your flouncy Chinese ass over here and fess up! What the hell is going on, and who the hell were those people? " he hissed with great venom.

Lei ignored him, and took a seat by the bed. He put his head in his hands, sighing. Then he uncovered his face and smiled, ruefully. " You and me, kid, we're in a ,er, shitload of trouble, for lack of a better term..."

Hwoarang rolled his eyes. " What the hell are you on about, Lei? _I _ was the one going through all the shit!" His voice rose and quivered with righteousness." So why don't you just pull your head out of your ass, and trust me with all the classified info crap, if you expect me to take on those people for you at any-"

" SHUT UP!" Hwoarang instantly obliged; the shock of Lei losing his cool like that, not only killed his defiance, but also downright frightened him.

Lei rubbed his temples and muttered an apology.

" Who are those people, Lei?" Hwoarang persisted in a much softer tone now. " What do they want?"

Lei sighed again. " Affiliates of G-Corporation." he looked away. " We're in major-league trouble now, Rang, " he repeated.

XXXXXXX

_**A/N: Major new antagonist! I wouldn't say goodbye to the Streltsy, though! Oh, and despite what many of you might be thinking now, G-Corporation are not after Asuka for the Devil/Angel Gene( it's just not on their agenda list, which is pretty long, actually) . Anyway, you'll learn all their wants in due course.**_


End file.
